


One for the road

by VexedBeverage



Series: Drunken Hands [4]
Category: Hat Films - Fandom, Hatfilms, The Yogscast
Genre: Drabbles, M/M, drunken hands, fandomadvent2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:02:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 10,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8718436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VexedBeverage/pseuds/VexedBeverage
Summary: This is a series of drabbles that I will be posting throughout December as part of the FandomAdvent2016 on Tumblr. (Full details of the challenge in the notes at the beginning of chapter 1.) Liberties have been taken with certain prompts to make this fit into some kind of running narrative, so they may not always be super obviously related. Set in the forgotten (or previously un-imagined by myself) gap year between college and Uni. Can anyone say road trip? The drabbles will be snapshots of things they get up to whilst away for eleven months.





	1. 1. Not going home for Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> The below is taken directly from threeplusfire's Tumblr page to show all 25 prompts.
> 
> \--
> 
> Advent is traditionally the countdown to Christmas, usually with a calendar full of tiny chocolates or prizes. This year we’d like to do a fandom advent that’s open to everyone who wants to write fic, make art or create any other fan related happiness.
> 
> We’ve composed a list, starting on December 1st with “Not going home for Christmas” and continuing with a prompt for each day. Fill them with drabbles, fill them with epics, fill them with comics, sketches, paintings or mixes. Do some of them, only do a few, or do every single one. Tag your posts with fandomadvent2016 to share!
> 
> While we’ll be doing largely Hat Films content, feel free to do this with whatever fandom has your heart this year. Or multiple fandoms if you’re feeling ambitious! We’re really looking forward to it.
> 
> -Three & Leon
> 
> The prompts for each day of December up to Christmas Day:
> 
> Not going home for Christmas  
> In the snow  
> Filming something  
> Law enforcement  
> Live music  
> Fast cars  
> First Christmas together  
> On the beach  
> In an airport  
> Dragons (fantasy dragons or dragon dildos)  
> A visit to the emergency room  
> Midnight snacks  
> Someone else’s wedding  
> Breaking and entering  
> Olympics/sports  
> Waking up in a foreign city  
> Drinking in a mediocre restaurant bar  
> Making food  
> Spies/espionage  
> Present shopping  
> Playing dress-up  
> Vampires  
> Roadside diners  
> Late at night, no one else awake  
> Going home for Christmas
> 
> \---
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :D

"You sure you have everything?" 

"Yes." 

"Passports?" A small pause where the dark haired man nodded but said nothing followed. "Money?" Another nod. "And you have all the emergency numbers in case you get into any trouble?" 

Ross smiled at the woman in front of him in fondness. "Mom. Stop." He said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "We'll be fine." 

The woman nodded, much like her son had just done moments before. She wet her lips and took a breath that was a little shaky. "It's just so long that you are going to be away and you'll be missing Christmas and I worry about my little boy being on the other side of the world." She rambled. 

Smith sidled up to her, throwing an arm around her shoulder that she leant into as Ross released her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll take care of him." 

Ross raised his eyebrows. "Not sure you're making this any better." He teased. "You're not exactly the responsible one in this relationship." 

Yvonne hit out gently, catching Ross on the upper arm. "Don't you insult my second son." 

Smith's response to Yvonne's phrase was to stick his tongue out at his boyfriend and sing-song 'I'm her favorite. Ner, ner, ner, ner, ner!' Which Ross simply rolled his eyes at. 

"We should go to departures." Smith said, looking between Ross and his mother. After a seconds hesitation, he moved to stand in front of Yvonne and wrapped his arm around her middle. Straightening his back, he picked her up and spun in a tight circle. "Gonna miss you. I promise we will at least try to be good." 

Yvonne laughed at that and offered him a watery smile as he placed her back on her feet. "Love you. See you in eleven months." And with that he walked away, leaving Ross and his mother alone to say their goodbyes. 

Ross squared up to his mother, tilting his head down to look her in her red rimmed eyes. "Don't cry." Ross pleaded, feeling his mouth go dry and a lump form in his throat. 

"The house is going to feel empty without you and your friends, kiddo." She admitted 

Ross' lips lifted into a grin. "Well, you are always complaining we're noisy and under your feet." He joked, knowing it was completely untrue and that usually she was right in the middle of it with him and his friends, making the racket and playing around. "And Trott said he would stop by every week for a cup of tea." He continued. "And I'm sure if you asked him he would run around the house screaming so it isn't so quiet." 

Yvonne laughed again and the tears she had been holding back started to roll down her face. She reached up and pulled Ross into a crushing hug that stretched out for over a minute before she sniffed a couple of times and pulled back. 

With a hand on his neck, she bent his head down and placed a kiss to the middle of his forehead. "Have fun." She whispered, trying to talk with her broken voice. "And make sure you call me at least once a week so I know you are okay." 

"I promise." Ross replied, bending down to grab his bag from the floor. Neither of them said anything as he put the strap over his shoulder and hitched it up higher. "I love you, Mom." 

"I love you too, sweetheart." 

Ross turned and walked away before his own tears could fall. He smiled when he saw Smith around the corner, waiting for him with an outstretched hand. Ross swallowed past the golf ball sized lump in his throat, took his boyfriends hand and together they made their way towards the plane and the 'once in a lifetime adventure' that awaited them on the other side of the world.


	2. 2. In the snow

Ross frowned at his lack of progress. 

He had been outside in the snow for almost two hours and had only managed to get halfway through the third layer of bricks of the large white circle. 

His hands had gone numb within the first twenty minutes and now they were like blocks of ice, clumsy and thick feeling. 

"You’re fingers are going to fall off with frostbite if you stay out here much longer." Smith called as he approached with two cups of steaming liquid in his hands, one outstretched to the dark haired man. 

Ross screwed up his face as he took the drink. His hands stinging in pain as the heat seeped into his freezing skin. "If you'd help then it'd be done much faster." He said before taking a sip of what he had thought was coffee but tasted like it was at least seventy percent whiskey. 

Smith grinned at the face the other man pulled. "Keeps you warm inside." He defended. "It also perpetuates moral looseness." He offered Ross an exaggerated wink. 

Ross snorted a laugh into his mug and sent a ripple across the surface of the liquid. "You are not going to stop hounding me until we bang in front of the fire, are you?" He already knew the answer. 

Smith offered him a toothy, lopsided grin that sent a shiver down Ross' spine and butterflies raging in the pit of his stomach – even after almost two years. "Once in a lifetime trip, remember?" Smith said. "I know I'd regret missing an opportunity like this and I'm sure you would too." 

Ross' tongue swept across his bottom lip as he eyed his boyfriend. "Well." He replied, trying to speak in a voice that sounded nonchalant. "It would be a bit stupid to waste the atmosphere." He said, casting his mind to the inside of the log cabin they had been calling home for the last couple of days. 

With it's massive open fireplace, huge four poster bed, comfy sofa and breathtaking view out over the frozen valley. Spectacular wasn’t good enough to describe it. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. Both men had spent hours of their previous nights sitting on the porch wrapped up in blankets and each other, completely awestruck by what was in front of them. 

"We could go get you warmed up with some amazing 'in front of the fire' fucking and then after we can come out and finish off your masterpiece." Smith coaxed, slipping his free hand into the back pocket of Ross' jeans. 

Ross looked down at his sad creation. He had been using an empty, square ice cream tub to make the bricks for his igloo. The tub sat on its side, half filled. It would take at least a hundred bricks to complete, if not more. 

Ross downed the rest of his drink in one and snaked his arm around his boyfriends waist. 

"Fuck building an igloo." He said dismissively. "Let's go warm up in the hot tub whilst the fire gets going." 

Smith's grin widened again. "Yes sir." He answered, taking his hand out of Ross' pocket to grab his hand and drag him to the cabin and the warmth (and other things) that it offered the two men.


	3. Filming something

October rolled around quickly. Trott had been busy working since his two best friends had left and the time had flown by in a haze of activity. 

It had been with a grin that he had answered his phone on his break and heard Smith and Ross on the other end, talking over each other excitedly and trying to cram over a months worth of adventuring into a short phone call. The parting shout from Smith of 'check your emails!' Had intrigued him and so, as soon as he had finished work, he had met with Katie and they had gone back to her place to see what Smith had been talking about. 

The email was just a quick one line of 'have a gander at this' and an ominously blue hyperlink that Trott wasn’t sure they should actually click. 

Katie wasn’t as cautious, swiping Trott's hand off the mouse and clicking with a sweet smile to her boyfriend. 

The browser kicked into life and immediately went full screen on a black page for a moment before an image of their friends appeared. They were waving. 

The quality of the microphone wasn’t the best, crackling a little and peaking when Smith decided that a rendition of what Trott was sure were the wrong lyrics to 'I'm too sexy', was needed. At the top of his lungs. 

'So, here we are.' Ross said, looking into the camera. 'We thought we could make a video diary as we travelled so that we can watch it back in years.' 

Smith interjected with his arm slung over Ross' shoulder. 'And we thought that people back home might like it too.' He said. 'You get to see all the places that we won't stop talking about when we get home.' 

With that, the image of the two men faded as they smiled at the camera and a song started to play quietly as images and snippets of videos played with captions floating into shot. 

'The lake at Quebec', 'The mountain road', 'The northern lights', 'Creepy truck stop in the middle of nowhere', 'The pines'. The list went on. Breathtaking views interspersed with shots of the two men. Ross bundled up against the cold in front of a snowman, followed by Smith similarly wrapped in scarf and gloves looking smug in front of a five foot snow penis. 

The pictures and videos became less snowy and instead moved to shots of neat streets where every house was decorated with skeletons and pumpkins. Lights and candles in windows and shots of stores decorated for the season. 

It wasn’t a long video. No more than fifteen minutes, but it had both Trott and Katie grinning as they watched their friends having the time of their lives, both obviously so happy. 

When it finished the two sat and kept staring at the black screen for a few minutes before Trott pulled Katie in for a hug. "How do you fancy going to see Yvonne?" He asked with his face buried in Katie's hair. 

"I think that's a brilliant idea."


	4. 4. Law enforcement

Neither man dared to even breathe too loud in fear of angering their assailant. 

Both men stood with their backs pressed to the bare brick wall and their hands held upwards, level with their shoulders as the third man spoke. 

"What about phones?" He asked, his voice gravelly as he placed the wallets they had handed over seconds before on a stack of boxes to his left. His other hand pressed the muzzle of his gun to the centre of Smith's chest. 

"We only have burners." Smith said in a small voice. "Our proper phones are back in England." 

The man lifted his head, the peak of his cap almost clipping Smith's chin. The bottom half of his face was obscured by a scarf that was wrapped around his nose and mouth. The only visible area was a two inch strip where his eyes were. Smith noted that they were a stormy grey and his eyebrows were almost invisible in the dim lighting of the alleyway. 

"Jewelry?" The man asked, turning his attention towards Ross and moving the muzzle of the gun to point at the dark haired man as he did. 

"Just my watch." Ross mumbled trying not to antagonize the man. 

"Let me see." The man insisted, reaching out with his free hand to grab at Ross' wrist. 

Smith was faster, smacking his hand away and moving his body in front of Ross'. "Don’t fucking touch him." Smith practically growled through his gritted teeth. 

Smith had never given much thought to exactly how much it would hurt to be pistol whipped before. The bruise already spreading across his cheekbone attested to the fact that the answer was 'a metric shit tonne' in his slightly dazed opinion. 

Ross gently pushed his boyfriend aside with one arm before fumbling with the strap of his watch and handing it to the man in front of him. "We don’t have anything else. You have everything, so please let us go." 

The man hummed a positive noise before speaking. "Nice doing business with you." He said, throwing Smith and Ross' wallets to the floor in front of them once he had emptied out all of the cash. "Enjoy your stay in our fine country." 

Neither Ross nor Smith moved as the man left the alleyway. They both stood stock still until they were sure he was gone and not coming back to kill them. 

Ross broke the silence by crouching down to pick up their wallets whilst also berating his boyfriend. "Don’t ever fucking do something so fucking stupid." He hissed. "He could have fucking shot you. A watch is not worth your fucking life, Alex." 

Smith took a few breaths before responding, looking a little disorientated for a moment. "Your grandad gave you that watch." He said. "It's all you have left of him." His voice was quiet and sounded fragile to Ross. 

Ross met Smith's eye and the adrenaline seemed to all leave him at once. His face crumpled at seeing the damage the mugger had done to Smith's face and so he reached out to him, pulling him into a crushing hug that the other man gladly returned. 

They weren't sure where to go after that, the only phone number to called seemed like overkill. You didn’t call 911 once you were safe, that was reserved for life and death situations. 

Smith laughed bitterly as they exited the alleyway. Pointing so that Ross could follow his line of sight, Ross looked down the street. Half a block down the street, just visible on the corner was a line of police cars. They had been half a block from a police station when they were held up. Should they have shouted, it may have even carried as far as the station on the still night air.


	5. 5. Live music

Ross supposed that it wasn’t the worst idea that Smith had ever come up with. One thing he was reluctant about however, was spending fifty of their last hundred dollars on something that might not pay off. 

The mugging had shaken both men badly and they had yet to say anything to anyone back home. They had both agreed when they arrived that if whatever place they were staying at didn’t have a safe then it would be better to carry most of their money with them in case the hotel room got robbed. 

The irony was not lost on either man and it contributed greatly to them not wanting to tell their loved ones back in England. 

The second reason for not telling was that it would inevitably cut their adventure short when they had barely even started. 

The dark haired man lingered by the bar, leaning against the worn wood with his hip. A cold beer in his hand as he waited for the woman on stage to finish her set and for Smith to get his turn in the spotlight. 

Ross' heart skipped a beat as Smith strode onto the stage with a confidence that Ross envied. An easy smile lifted the corners of his lips and his hair mussed from where he had probably been running his hands through it as he waited to go on. 

The microphone crackled as Smith stepped up to it and said in a clear voice that his name was Alex and he hoped the audience would like his performance. 

The set went quickly, Ross slipped on to a bar stool as Smith started his second song. A love ballad that he often sang to Ross under his breath as they fell asleep at night. 

Smith played the guitar like he had been born to do it. He made it all look so effortless and perfect as his one hand danced across the fretboard whilst his other strummed. His foot tapped as he played, keeping time so he wouldn’t miss a chord. 

Ross could listen to Smith sing for the rest of their lives and never get bored with it. The way his smile could be heard in his voice and the gentle rasp that escaped when he was near the end of his breath was something that always raised goosebumps across Ross' arms. 

When he had finished, the audience applauded loudly. Ross was sure it was much louder than any of the other acts but he may have just been biased or, more likely, not able to judge over the sound of his own enthusiastic clapping, whistles and cheers. 

Smith took a bow, exited the stage and almost immediately bounded over to Ross at the bar with a grin plastered to his face. 

"Have fun?" Ross asked, his eyebrows raised. 

Smith wrapped his arms around Ross for a brief squeezing hug. "It was such a fucking rush!" 

Ross smiled at Smith's jittery stance from the adrenaline still rushing through his veins. "You were so fucking good." 

Somehow, the taller man lit up even more from the praise, and in a move that was very rare for Smith, he pecked Ross quickly on the lips in the middle of a crowded bar and beamed at the dark haired man. 

"Janine reckons I'll win." Smith announced. "And if I do, then we'll have enough money to last us at least another month." 

Ross nodded and handed Smith his beer to have a swig. "When you win." Ross said, sounding certain that Smith would. "You can buy me breakfast." He half shouted, having to raise his voice over the music that had started back up as another performer started on the stage. 

Smith took a couple of swallows of the amber coloured liquid before maneuvering to stand behind Ross so he could wrap his arms around his waist and rest his chin on one of Ross' shoulders. 

Ross leant back into the embrace and placed on hand on top of Smith's two, interlocked over his stomach. "You want pancakes or waffles?" Smith asked, his breath washing over the side of Ross' face and into his ear causing the little hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end.


	6. 6. Fast cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I am very much taking liberties with the prompt for this one...

Their month was up but that didn’t mean they were going to go home.

Smith had been playing at any open mic night with payment for participating or winning and Ross had been picking up odd jobs here and there where he could for cash. Dishwashing was the usual one that he could pick up some work with, when a restaurant was busy and their staff were short it was something that he and Smith could do together to earn a few extra bucks to see them through the next few days. 

That was mostly how they played it, living from job to job. Doing as little as possible so they could still spend as much time as possible on their holiday. They often made enough for a day or two and jumped on a Greyhound bus with no plan on where to go and whilst, at first it had been uncomfortable for Ross, he soon got swept up in Smith’s enjoyment of the unpredictable nature of their trip. 

They had been making their way south, in some town that neither of them knew the name of in the search of sandy beaches and warm sea breezes. Smith had expressed a wish to swim in waters that were saltier than himself and Ross agreed that he could go for some sand between his toes. 

Ross was exhausted when they got back to the hotel. They had spent the whole day at the beach acting like children, swimming and having splash fights, building an epic sandcastle with spires almost as tall as Ross and eating crappy snack food that ended up being coated in sand. 

One thing Smith had neglected to do however, was to reapply any sun cream or to sit anywhere that was not in the direct glare of the strong sun if the hissing sounds coming from the bathroom where he was showering off was any indication. 

Ross lay spread across the bed on his back with his shirt discarded over a chair back, the substandard air conditioning on as cold as it would go. 

Smith shuffled back into the room and motioned down to himself. Even in the dim lighting of the room Ross could tell that most of the skin on his upper body was an angry dark pink/red indicative of sunburn. “I’m like a fucking tomato.” He complained. 

Ross scrunched up his face at the damage to Smith’s skin, noting with a small groan that the skin on his own face felt tight and stung a little. “Red suits you?” Ross said, smiling and making it sound like a question. 

Smith scrunched the towel he had held in his hand into a ball and threw it at the other man. “Fuck you.” 

“Don’t want to hurt you, babe. Maybe in a couple of days.” 

Smith rolled his eyes. 

Ross sat up, planting his bare feet on the floor. “I think I have some aloe Vera stuff in my case.” He gestured to the bed as he continued to talk. “Sit down and I’ll lube you up with it.” 

Smith snorted a laugh at Ross’ choice of words, knowing it was his boyfriend’s way of trying to cheer him up. He stood in the middle of the room, looking down at his red chest, poking at it with a finger and wincing. 

“If it hurts, don’t poke it.” Ross said, returning with a large green bottle in his hand. 

Smith let his hand drop away from his chest before stretching both arms wide. “Lube me up with your gloopy green, alien jizz.” 

Ross shook his head and emptied a large globule of the gel like substance into his palm and slapped it onto Smith’s stomach with an obscene noise that probably carried through the thin wall of the hotel room and gave their neighbours the wrong idea exactly what was going on in the room next to them. 

Aside from the initial slap, Ross gently and methodically rubbed the gel into Smith’s skin until he was covered in a thin layer, using any excess he had on his hands to cover his own face where he had caught the sun himself. 

Smith groaned as he sat down on the bed. “This is going to hurt like a bitch tomorrow, isn’t it?” 

Ross nodded and dived across the bed to lie on his stomach, snatching up the remote from the nightstand and clicking the TV on. “You should probably stay out of the sun for a couple of days.” 

Smith frowned and swung his legs up onto the bed, lying on his back with his head hanging off the end of the bed, watching the channels change upside down as Ross flicked through channels. “But it’s always sunny here. What are we meant to do that isn’t in the sun?” 

Ross tossed the remote to the bed beside himself and propped himself up on outstretched arms, leaning over Smith. “I am sure we can think of something.” He answered, closing the distance between their faces by bending his elbows. 

The night passed in a haze of lazy affection to the soundtrack of the NASCAR races playing out quietly on the TV behind the two men.


	7. 7. First Christmas together

Smith steered Ross around a lamppost with his hands held over Ross' eyes then brought them both to a stop. 

Pulling his hands away, Smith made a sound indicative of a reveal. 

Ross wasn’t sure exactly what he should be reacting to. They were stood on the corner of a street, it was quiet on the sidewalk and the road due to the date and time. It was almost eight pm on Christmas eve and the shops along the street had been closed for hours. 

Noting Ross' confused face Smith spoke up. "The hotel, babe." 

Ross looked up at the building in front of him. 

It towered over them. Ross counted eight storeys, arched windows on the larger looking second level and white pillars framing the front of the building. It looked like something from a movie to Ross, flags jutting out along the front, above the canopied entrance that housed the gilded double doors with their finely dressed doorman. 

"What-?" Ross didn’t get to finish his sentence before Smith cut in. 

"This is our home for Christmas." 

Ross shook his head. "We can't afford this, Smith." 

The taller man took Ross' hand and interlocked their fingers. "Couldn’t have our first Christmas together in some shitty motel or hostel." He answered with a lopsided smile. "I've been doing a couple of extra gigs whilst you've been at the restaurant." He confessed. "Saved enough to put us up until the twenty seventh." 

Inside of the building was even grander than the outside had led the dark haired man to believe. With it's marble floors, rich, red carpet and a domed stained glass ceiling. Ross felt out of place, like he was sullying the grandeur with his frayed jeans and hoodie. It felt like he should be in a three piece suit instead. 

Their room was much the same. Grand and beautiful with a curtained four poster bed that could have comfortably slept at least four adults. 

The bathroom was as opulent, gold taps and marble surfaces. Something between a bath and a hot tub sunken into the floor that was again oversized in that it would fit at least three people without being uncomfortable. 

Ross belly flopped onto the bed, burying his face in the soft pillows for a moment before rolling over and smiling at Smith. "This place is fucking amazing." 

Smith nodded before joining Ross on the bed. He crawled up to the mattress until he was suspended over Ross on his forearms. "Amazing place for my amazing Ross." 

Ross laughed. "Cheesy bastard." 

Smith hummed a positive sound. "It's Christmas and I have you all to myself, I think I'm allowed to be a little cringy." 

Ross hummed back, much the same way Smith had, though rather than speaking he lifted his shoulders off the bed and initiated a slow kiss. 

Smith groaned at the contact and immediately lowered himself so Ross could lie back on the pillows. One of Ross' hands carding through Smith's hair as they both smiled into the kiss.


	8. 8. On the beach

It seemed to Ross that Smith was born for this. His easy smile and raised voice called out across the pier as he invited passers by to 'try their luck' and 'test their skill' on the ring toss. 

The two men had arrived in town only a few days previously but had found it very easy to gain employment in the small seaside town. 

Ross smirked to himself as a group of teenage girls approached the stand where Smith called out from. They blushed, pushed at each other and spoke in whispers until the most confident of them stepped forward and started to flirt in earnest. 

"Does that not both you?" A voice asked from his right. 

The girl was short, with faded hair that could have originally been either electric blue or emerald green. It was hard to tell. 

Ross shrugged and accepted the cup of coffee in her outstretched hand. "Not really." Ross replied before taking a sip. "Sam always has girls hanging off him too and you don’t seem bothered?" He finished it as a question, with a raised eyebrow. 

The girl smiled and quirked an eyebrow back at Ross. "Not anymore, no." She answered. "Used to bug the shit out of me though." She confessed. "My own fault for dating a beef cake with a British accent." 

Ross snorted a laugh. "Did you honestly just use the term 'beef cake'?" 

The girl threw her head back and laughed before bumping her hip against Ross' leg. "Fuck off." 

Ross stumbled from the force of the bump, looking around he caught sight of the man they had been speaking about and dashed over to him, hiding behind his larger frame. "She's getting violent again." He complained, putting a whine into his voice. 

Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, I ain't going to protect you." He said, striding over to his girlfriend. "She'll kick my head in, she's much tougher than I am. Split my lip once you know." 

The girl in question put a hand on her hip and made a face before she replied. "That was totally your fault!" She accused, pointing the index finger of her other hand at Sam. "You insisted on tickling me, I told you not to." 

Sam leant closer to Ross and mock whispered. "Head like a bowling ball, smacked me right in the face with the back of her head." Sam stepped away, maintaining eye contact with Ross for a moment and mouthing 'violent' and nodding before pulling an arm around the girl. "Love you." He chirped, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. 

The conversation continued between the three for a few more minutes until Ross spotted Smith extracting himself from the crowd of girls, taking off his apron that held the money from the stall and handed it to the bored looking guy replacing him. Smith vaulted over the counter and strode over to where Ross stood. 

"Alright Dodge, Sam." He greeted the two other people with Ross, saluting with two fingers to his temple before he wrapped an arm around Ross. "We still on for tonight?" He asked. 

Dodger nodded. "Already got snacks and beer." She confirmed with a smile.


	9. 9. In an airport

It had been the longest they had stayed in once place. The warm weather and easy friendship they found with Sam and Dodger, as well as the other workers on the pier had made them linger in the town longer than they had intended. 

Work hadn't felt like work as they spent their days on various stalls, selling wares to tourists. Their nights spent around fires at the beach, drinking until the early hours before crashing out until starting work at mid morning. 

"I'm gonna miss you guys." Ross said, looking down at Dodger with a sad smile. 

"Is he always this dramatic?" She asked Smith with a wink before wrapping her arms around his neck to initiate a long hug. 

Smith laughed and brought her off her feet as he straightened his back. "Always." He whispered before placing her back on her feet. 

"Come on 'beef cake'," Ross said with a grin. "Bring it in for a hug." He opened his arms wide and Sam stepped into them with a grin, thumping Ross on the back a couple of times before they pulled apart. 

"I'm never getting away from that, am I?" Sam asked, directing the question at his girlfriend who just grinned at him. 

Once hugs had been exchanged, Dodger looked at both men in front of her in turn. "You make sure to keep in touch." 

Ross and Smith both nodded. "We will." 

Sam held a hand up as Ross and Smith gathered their things and walked away. 

 

One of the reasons they had stayed so long in the small seaside town was to save some money. They were done with the east coast and now wanted to explore the west. Smith wanted to see desert and mountains. They both longed to see the Grand Canyon and Vegas, even if it would be difficult for them to get into any casino's. 

The plane was much smaller than the one that had brought them across the ocean, it seemed rickety to Ross and caused a sickness in the pit of his stomach. 

Smith looked over at Ross' paler than usual face and slipped his hand into Ross'. "I got ya, babe." He whispered, squeezing his hand and relaxing back into his seat.


	10. 10. Dragons

"A zoo?" Smith asked with a smirk. 

Ross nodded at him. "They have a huge reptile house with loads of lizards and snakes and stuff." 

Smith wasn’t sure what to say to that. "You realise I will spend hours in there, right?" 

Ross smiled at him. "As long as we have time to swing by the wolf and African wild dogs then we can spend the rest of the day in there if you want." 

"You're the best boyfriend ever." Smith sighed, closing his eyes to go to sleep. Prepared for dreams of bearded dragons, monitor lizards and anacondas. 

"I know." Ross yawned back, laying his head on Smith's chest.


	11. 11. A visit to the emergency room

"Fuck Disney land." Smith said holding his arms out wide. "This is the most magical place on earth." 

Ross laughed and shook his head at his boyfriend fondly before placing a hand on Smith's arm. "You're it." Ross whispered then ran off across the padded floor as fast as he legs would carry him. 

"Cheater!" Smith bellowed, breaking into a sprint himself to chase after the other man. 

IT had been with obvious glee that Ross had found the place existed. A haven for immature adults who wanted to relive some of their childhoods. 

IT was basically a warehouse. A huge space that had been filled with everything a child could have wished for but was large and robust enough to be for adult bodies. 

Massive slides and climbing frames, ball pits the size of swimming pools. Huge trampolines and foam shaped to clime and build with. Nerf guns were mounted on walls to shoot passers by and every surface was covered in foam and padding to avoid any injuries. 

Unfortunately, they couldn’t protect against everything. Particularly the overzealous, showing off of one Alex Smith. 

\--- 

"Come on, Ross!" Smith encouraged him. "Tuck your knees in and flip." He demonstrated by doing as he had said and executed a perfect flip in the air as he hit the apex of his jump from the bouncy surface. 

Ross nodded, jumping in time with Smith. A few times he tucked his legs in but then bailed on the maneuver and straightened his legs to bounce again. 

"Come on, mate. You can do it." Smith said watching the other man. 

Ross swallowed but still felt his confidence boost a little at Smith's belief in him. With an extra high bounce, he tucked himself into a ball and threw his head forward, his body following. Ross straightened out of the ball and landed on the trampoline with a 'woop' of victory. 

Smith laughed and cheered along with Ross. The taller man bent his knees, jumping even higher than he had been thus far. 

"Double Flip!" Smith shouted before pushing off from the trampoline and pulling his legs in. 

Ross wasn’t sure exactly what had happened. One second Smith was jumping and the next he was coming to a stop, curled into a ball on the surface of the trampoline with his hands cupping his face as blood poured out from between his fingers. 

\--- 

"Only Smith could split his head open, break his nose and get a concussion from a fucking trampoline." Trott's voice laughed down the phone. 

Ross scuffed his feet against the linoleum floor and leant an arm against the plastic case of the phone booth. "Scared the shit out of me." Ross confessed, pulling his hand away again when he noticed the dried blood covering the appendage. 

"Make sure you rib him for me." Trott instructed. "He's never allowed to live this down." 

Ross chuckled. "Don’t worry, once they're done stitching his head, I will."


	12. 12. Midnight snacks

Ross looked skeptical at the vehicle in front of them, giving a sideways glance to the car dealer. 

"It's practically a steal, but I like you boys so I'll let it go." The man said. 

As far as sales pitches went, it was pretty weak. 

Smith pulled Ross aside and they engaged in a whispered conversation. "The engine is clean and it sounds fine." Smith said. "Even if it only gets us to Vegas then it's cheaper than the train." 

Ross eyed the vehicle again. IT was old and had enough rust on the wheel arch to be considered the main material. 

Ross wet his lips and sighed. "Fine." He agreed. "But if it breaks down in the middle of nowhere and some mad axe murderer comes and kille me at the side of some deserted roadside, then I will come back and haunt you forever." 

Smith rolled his eyes. "Drama queen." 

\--- 

At first Ross was still a bit jittery in the vehicle. Not trusting that it wouldn’t just conk out and leave them stranded. As the days went on, he relaxed. 

Having the freedom to go where they wanted, when they wanted messed with their body clocks. Often they drove through the night, stopping atop hills overlooking cities lit up, marveling at the strange beauty of it. 

\--- 

Ross started awake as Smith slammed the back door, then opened the drivers door and slid into his seat behind the wheel. "Morning." He smiled. 

Ross groaned at him and held a hand up to cover the light from the ceiling of the vehicle that was still on because Smith hadn't yet started the vehicle. 

"I got you breakfast." Smith practically sang, reaching into the back of the vehicle and pulling out some fresh looking pastries. 

Ross' scowl softened at the gesture. "Coffee?" He asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with a fist. 

"There's a drive through Starbucks a couple of blocks over." Smith answered, starting the vehicle and pulling out of the car park at a gentle pace. 

They spent the next few hours on the bonnet of the car, talking and wrapped in blankets and eating pastries as the sky turned from black to blue to pink as the sun rose over the horizon.


	13. 13. Someone else's wedding

Smith groaned as he felt the bed move, throwing an arm over his eyes to block the sunlight streaming through the open blinds. 

Smith coughed, sitting bolt upright as he did to try and alleviate the tickle that felt suspiciously like he had smoked a whole packet of cigarettes and drank copious amounts of alcohol. 

Once he had stopped hacking and his head ceased its screaming agony to settle into a more manageable thumping in time to his heartbeat, he caught the sound of Ross emptying the contents of his stomach coming from the open bathroom door. 

With considerable effort, Smith sung his legs out of the bed and pushed himself to his feet. He swept by the mini bar and retrieved two ice cold bottles of water on his way to find Ross. 

In their two years together, the two men had seen each other in some very bad states but what was in front of Smith now was worse than all of them. 

Ross looked like death, his face almost as white as the porcelain that he had his arms wrapped around. 

"What the fuck did we drink last night?" Ross asked, his eyes red rimmed and puffy. 

"Everything." Smith answered, as if it were obvious. 

Ross pushed away from the toilet and rested his back against the back. Smith handed him the water which he accepted and downed half of in one go. "Was I so drunk that I imagined the wedding?" Ross asked before scrubbing at his face with both hands, the open bottle of water held between his thighs. 

Smith reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of shiny paper before sitting down next to the dark haired man. 

Ross rested his head on Smith's shoulder and closed his eyes against the waves of nausea still rolling through him. 

Smith flicked through the wad, laying the polaroids out on his outstretched legs. 

Ross cracked his eyes open and lifted his head to stare at the images with bleary eyes. 

The pictures were of a straight couple, both blonde haired with blue eyes. The woman was in what Ross could only describe as a hot pink corset top and a fluffy tutu of the same colour. The man was in jeans and a shirt with a pink tie that matched his partners attire. 

The pictures cycled through the night. Bottles of champagne, shots, straight vodka from the bottle being passed around between the four of them. The pictures continued to show the blonde couple standing under a white arch with an Elvis impersonator standing between them. 

The images caught the exchanging of the rings with Smith handing them to the man with tears streaking down his face. The photo's got blurrier and made ledd sense and a large bottle of tequila started making an appearance. 

"I'm never drinking again." Ross moaned, once again burying his face in Smith's shoulder.


	14. 14. Breaking and entering

“Have you seen the car keys?” Ross asked as he lifted a magazine from the bedside table to check under it. 

 

Smith looked up from his book and shook his head. “No, I gave them to you when we got in yesterday.” 

 

Ross stopped searching and looked over at the other man lounging on the bed. “No you didn’t.” He said. “You drove yesterday, I didn’t touch the keys.” 

 

Smith placed his book face down on the bed beside himself and stood up from the bed. “If I had them they would be in my jeans or on the side.” To demonstrate his point, he walked over to the table by the door and scanned it with his eyes whilst also patting his pockets down. 

 

Ross gave him a look. “You didn’t give them to me.” He defended. “I grabbed the bags from the back seat and came in here.” 

 

“Yeah and i went to the boot and got the bags from-” He trailed off and his eyes widened before he closed them and rubbed at his beard. 

 

Ross watched as Smith turned to the door of the motel room, walked towards it and wrenched it open. 

 

All was silent for a moment until Smith ground out a loud ‘fuck’ between his clenched teeth and stomping back inside. 

 

“I may have locked the fucking keys in the fucking car.” He admitted. 

 

“Oh.” 

 

Smith snorted a laugh. “We have no spare key or money to be able to get a new key or a locksmith out and all you can say is ‘oh’?” 

 

Ross snatched up the keys for the room and strode past Smith with a ‘come on.’ aimed at the taller man. 

 

Smith followed Ross as he walked around the car, trying the doors. The previous day, Smith had placed the keys on the parcel shelf as he got the bags out of the boot of the car and must have shut it without picking them up. They keys practically mocked them as they glinted in the sun through the back window. 

 

Without a word, Ross made his way over to the reception building of the motel with Smith trailing behind. 

 

The man behind the desk looked up as they entered the small, air conditioned room. 

 

Ross leant against the counter. “I don’t suppose you have a crowbar we can borrow for a minute?” 

 

The man furrowed his brows as he answered. “What’s it for? I’m not about to go giving some complete strangers a crowbar.” 

 

Ross quickly explained their predicament. “Come have a look if you like. You can see the keys through the back window.” 

 

The man looked from Ross to the blazing sun outside and shook his head. “I believe ya.” He said, leaning down under the counter and pulling out the very object Ross had requested. “Make sure to bring it back.” 

 

Smith was still confused as Ross took the item and went back outside. 

 

“What are you going to do with that? Break a window?” He asked. 

 

“Jimmy the door.” Ross answered as they arrived back at the vehicle. At Smith’s further confused look he pointed to the back door. “It’s an old car and so if I jimmy the part of the door where the lock is, I should be able to pop the lock and we can get the keys. Then we just bend the door back after, you won't even be able to tell anything happened.” 

 

Smith raised an eyebrow. “Where the hell did you learn this?” 

 

“Misspent youth.” Ross answered, lining up the crowbar and tapping the end to wedge it in the gap. With a small grunt, he pushed at the metal bar and bent the door. 

 

Smith smiled as Ross slid his hand into the gap. After a moment something popped, he pulled his hand back and opened the door. “I didn’t realise you were such a delinquent.” Smith commented. 

 

Ross laughed and offered Smith a wink before climbing into the car and retrieving the keys. 

Smith caught the keys that Ross threw his way and remarked. “Well, I have always had a bit of a thing for bad boys.”


	15. 15. Olympics/Sports

“You cannot consume all of that.” Ross protested, looking at the massive hot dog in abject horror. “Not in half an hour.” He corrected when Smith raised an eyebrow. 

 

“Of course I can.” He replied, hefting the hot dog up so he could side step into the stands. “And it wouldn’t be called a challenge if everyone could just do it.” He said with a smirk. 

 

Ross resisted rolling his eyes at his boyfriends apparently unending appetite and sat down in one of the folding seats that ringed the field. 

 

“So.” Ross started, gesturing to the game about to start in front of them. “This is like rounders, right?” 

 

Smith shrugged but didn't offer any speech as play started and he opened his mouth as wide as he could to take a bit out of the oversized food held in both hands. 

 

Ross snorted a laugh and turned his attention back to the game. 

Neither man really learnt anything about baseball that day other than that Smith consuming a hot dog as large as his arm should not be a repeat experience.


	16. 16. Waking up in a foreign city.

Ross liked it when they drove through the night. There was something special about the empty roads and getting to watch sunrises and sunsets as the piles peeled away behind them. 

 

They would take it in turns, one of them driving whilst the other slept away in the passenger seat, or sometimes stretched across the back seat. 

Ross enjoyed the quietness of it. How, when they were far from any cities or towns they could see all the stars above. Often he would pull the car over as Smith snored softly next to him and get out to stretch his legs, marvelling at the sky above. 

Ross smiled fondly as Smith stretched and yawned. His whole body arching off the seat like a cat as he blinked his eyes open. 

"Where are we?" He asked before yawning a second time. 

"Almost at Yellowstone." Ross answered. "Another hour or so." He paused for a second as Smith scrubbed at his face with the palm of one hand. "You slept through Utah." 

Smith snorted in amusement. "I still physically went through the state, so it still counts." 

Both men were quiet for a few moments. 

"If you stop somewhere for coffee, I'll take over." Smith offered. 

Ross stretched his right hand out, entwined his fingers with Smith's without a word and carried on driving, content.


	17. 17. Drinking in a mediocre restaurant bar.

It had been five months since they had left the sleepy seaside town. With the freedom the car offered, Ross and Smith decided that there was nowhere they would prefer to spend the last two months of their adventure. 

The bar was set a little away from the dining area, behind some pillars to seem like it was separate without any walls to do the job. 

Sam grinned as they entered and Ross could hear him tell Dodger to turn around. 

The small woman swiveled in her seat and caught sight of Smith and Ross making their way over. 

With a sound that probably beckoned to all the dogs in a ten mile radius, she shrieked their names and jumped up from her seat. Side stepping the chairs, she rushed over and flung herself at Ross who caught her and lifted her off her feet as they hugged. 

"I can't believe you're back!" She gushed as Ross put her back down. 

Smith replied, holding his arms open for a hug from the woman. "We figured we would spend the last couple of months of this thing in one place." 

Ross cut in as he finished a back slapping full hug from Sam. "And we decided to come back here because it's been our favorite place with some pretty cool people." 

Sam and Dodger shared a look. "You're talking about David, right?" 

Smith raised an eyebrow, thinking back to the strange little man who ran the pier with his greasy comb over and leering looks towards any female in the vicinity. "Yeah. David. We're like BFF's." Smith deadpanned.


	18. 18. Making food.

Ross and Smith both went back to work in the town and it was as if they hadn't left. 

They got a room at the cheap motel and went back to the pier for work, flitting between working the games, rides and the concession stands. 

Ross was more than happy working the popcorn stand, his sweet tooth calling out that he needed to 'test' every new batch of sweetened popcorn to ensure its quality. Most nights, he didn’t feel like eating when he had finished since he had spent the whole shift eating popcorn when he didn’t have a customer to serve. 

Smith was still doing the occasional gig so that they could save up money for gifts to take home for their friends and family, and so he didn't often work much during the day. 

Ross didn’t mind, it meant Smith would cook for him whilst Ross was in the shower, washing the stickiness of the butter off himself.


	19. 19. Spies/Espionage

"Why the fuck did we agree to this?" Ross asked as he reached his arms up and placed one for in Smith's clasped hands so he could get a boost up. 

Smith grunted as he pushed Ross upwards, answering once Ross had managed to pull himself on top of the hut. "Because this guy is a real Richard and Dave said he would give us a hundred bucks if we got him proof that Dick is stealing from him." 

Ross sighed and shifted his position. "Do you need me to pull you up?" 

Smith shook his head and took a few steps back so he could take a running jump. 

He connected with the flat wall of the hut with a loud bang, hanging on by his fingers for a moment before dropping back to the floor and trying again. 

On the third attempt Smith got a high enough jump and managed to pull himself up next to Ross. 

With a not that was a little too serious for Ross not to let out a small laugh, they both lay on their stomachs and army crawled to the front of the hut. 

They ducked behind the sign that protruded upwards from the edge of the wooden structure, peaking out over it cautiously. Their vantage point afforded them a perfect view of the ring toss where Richard was stationed. 

Smith pulled a small camera out of his pocket and turned it on, using the zoom to get a better look at their mark. 

After a couple of hours and numerous rounds of I-spy and breaks to make out on top of the hut, they finally hit the jackpot. 

No customers were near Richard's stall and with an exaggerated look around, he dipped into the apron at his waist where the money from the customers was kept. He hug around for a moment and brought a fistful of bills out. 

Turning his back on the main area of the pier and his front towards where Smith and Ross were hidden, he made a quick count before separating some bills and rolling them up. 

Smith snapped away with the camera as Richard stuffed the remaining money back in the pouch then slipped off a shoe and placing the roll of stolen bills inside, followed by his foot. 

Ross and Smith shared a look of disbelief and edged back from view. 

"Thieving bastard." Ross whispered. 

Smith nodded. "Dave is going to flip his shit."


	20. 20. Present shopping.

"Do you think Trott would prefer a realistic, flesh coloured dildo or a pink, sparkly one?" Smith asked Ross as they prepared to leave the motel and head to the mall an hour or so outside of town. 

Ross looked thoughtful, as if he was really thinking hard about the answer. "I don’t know, he has so many it's hard to know." He answered. "It's one of those old conundrums. 'What dildo do you get the man who seems to already have every dildo?' I just don’t know." 

Smith shrugged and huffed. "Makes it so hard to buy for him."


	21. 21. Playing dress up.

"Come on!" Dodger whined, pulling on Ross' arm. 

"We've been out for hours." Ross protested. "We're never going to find anything for the stupid costume party." 

"Not with that attitude we aren't." She scolded as she continued to drag him into what must have been the fourth or fifth costume store. 

Ross reluctantly followed the short woman into the shop. "Werewolf?" She asked, holding up a mask. Ross shook his head. "Harry Potter?" 

"Just because I'm English doesn’t mean I want to be Harry Potter." 

Dodger crossed her arms. "Don't you disrespect H.p." She warned before looking through the racks some more. 

"Oooh!" She exclaimed, pulling out two costumes. "This is perfect for me and Sam." 

"Power Rangers." Ross smiled and nodded. " Which ones though?" 

Dodger furrowed her brow an examined the different colours. "Looks like Sam's the red one." She said. "Only one in a big enough size for him." She concluded, placing back the green costume she had been holding and swapping it for the red. "This party is going to be so much fun." 

Ross didn’t respond, he had never really been a fan of dressing up, unless it was for some stupid skit. Otherwise he found most costumes to be uncomfortable, hot and itchy.


	22. 22. Vampires

Ross spluttered. Coughing past the tiny metallic specs that he had inhaled until he was doubled over and red in the face. 

"That stuff fucking stinks." Smith commented as he slapped Ross on the back and looked him over to make sure he was okay. 

"Just don't try and breathe it in when you do yours." Ross wheezed, straightening up. Clearing his throat he continued. "At least it's not going to be boiling in this. Craig said he was coming in a fucking Scooby Doo costume." 

Smith nodded and wafted a hand through the glitter infused air. "We're going to be finding glitter in this place until we leave." 

"Sit down." Ross instructed, reaching over to snatch the white face paint from the edge of the sink. 

Smith did as he was told, perching on the edge of the bath as Ross liberally applied the pain to Smith's face, arms, chest and neck, making his skin as white as a sheet of paper. 

Once he was dry, Ross ordered him to dress and waited in the bathroom. Both men held their breaths as Ross sprayed Smith on every exposed bit of skin with the canned glitter. They dashed out of the bathroom as soon as Ross had finished, closing the door behind them to try and contain the storm of sparkles. 

Smith looked over to Ross and failed to suppress a laugh. "You look fucking ridiculous." He commented. 

"Speak for yourself." Ross replied. "Edward Cullen looking motherfucker."


	23. 23. Roadside diners.

The second time the couple had to say goodbye to their friends was far worse than the first. 

Dodger couldn’t hold back the tears that fell as she hugged both men in turn with all her strength. 

"You better stay in touch." She sniffed. 

Ross just nodded, worried that the lump in his throat would be heard if he spoke. 

"I'll come say hi the next time I'm back in the motherland." Sam promised, shaking Ross' hand as Smith hugged Dodger. 

Once the goodbyes had been said, the two men climbed into the car and sped away. 

Neither man spoke for over an hour after they left. The radio playing quietly as they were both los in their own thoughts. 

Smith broke the silence with a predictable complaint that he was hungry. 

They stopped at the next diner. A small, rural roadside place decked out like something from a movie. 

The booths were red leather that stuck to the back of Smith's legs almost immediately. The tables a flecked sky blue. A jukebox in the corner was playing Elvis and their waitress, the only one in the building had a mass of curls piled on her head that had probably once been lusteriou blinde but was now dulled with many greys. 

The waitress tapped the end of her pen on her notepad and asked what they would like before shuffling off towards the kitchen with their order. 

Nostalgia took over as they sat. Smith spinning the sugar shaker on the table in front of him as Ross posed a question. 

"Which diner so you think is the best we've been in?" 

Smith stopped his spinning and contemplated the question. "Like service wise or food or what?" 

"All I suppose." Ross answered. 

Smith thought for a moment. "That one outside Montreal was pretty good." 

Ross raised an eyebrow. "The one with that hot waitress?" 

"Tammy, yeah." Smith smirked. 

"She did give us free pancakes." Ross agreed. "But if she had known that you weren't free and single beforehand I don’t think we would have got them." 

Smith laughed. "True. What about the one by Vegas with that chef who snuck his number under your French toast?" 

Ross snorted as he remembered Smith encouraging him to throw the man in the kitchen a wink to try and get some free food. 

"I think," Ross started. "The best food was that one we went to at four am as we drove through Nebraska." 

"The one with the brisket?" Smith questioned. Ross nodded. "That was good food." He admitted, something like longing colouring his tone. 

"Do you remember that guy in the truck stop in Ohio?" 

Smith barked a laugh. "Oh God, I had forgotten about him." He said. "Creepy mother fucker." HE shuddered at the memory. "You always attract the weirdos." 

Ross nodded. "It's how I got you, sweetheart." 

Smith narrowed his eyes and kicked him under the table as the waitress returned and placed their food in front of them. "Prick." He mumbled at Ross as soon as the waitress had gone. 

Ross picked up his fork to begin eating. "Love you too." 

Smith let a small smile cross his face and began to devour his breakfast.


	24. 24. Late at night, no one else awake

It was three am as they climbed into the taxi and made their final journey. 

Both men were bundled up, so used to the air being warmer even in the dead of night. England was cold and in the true spirit of itself, it was raining. 

Ross had almost laughed when he had noticed the rain as they landed. IT wasn’t particularly funny but the lack of sleep and being cramped on a plane for almost eight hours had made it seem more amusing than it really was. 

The taxi driver sped down the motorway to get them home. Neither man complained at the excess speed, it meant they would be back sooner and could sink into Ross' soft mattress all that much sooner. 

As quietly as they could, they took all the bags from the taxi and piled them in front of the door to Ross' house. 

Ross opened the door with a click and began the process of bringing their luggage inside by the light of a single lamp. 

They stripped off their layers of hoodies and jumpers, hanging them over the banister in the hallway before Ross let the way, tiptoeing on each step so they would not wake Ross' mother. 

Ross held his hand out behind him for Smith to take and continued down the hall and into his bedroom, not turning the light on until Smith had closed the door behind them. 

"Bed!" Smith goraned, dropping Ross' hand, immediately undoing his jeans and dropping them to the floor. "I've missed your bed, so much." He said, walking towards it and face planting into the blankets. 

Ross kicked off his own jeans and crawled into the bed after flicking the light off. He sighed in satisfaction at the familiar feeling of being in his own bed. 

Smith shifted his position and rested his head on Ross' chest with an arm draped over his stomach. "I'd offer you a welcome home bang but I'm not sure I can move." 

Ross stifled a laugh by burying his nose in Smith's messy hair. "Maybe tomorrow." He yawned, closing his eyes.


	25. 25. Going home for Christmas.

It had been almost four months since they had all been together and, in typical Smith fashion he and Ross were the last to arrive. 

The pub was decked out with flashing lights covering the windows and draped overe the smoking shelter attached to the side of the building. 

Smith unclasped his and Ross' hands to open the door, stepping into the warmth of their local haunt. 

Noise burst forth as soon as they came within sight of their amassed friends. The two men were swarmed, passing from person to person for hugs. 

The process went on for over half an hour as greetings were exchanged and the friends caught up with each other. 

Lewis got the newcomers drinks and they all finally settled into seats to waste the day and night, chatting shit and drinking cheap beer like old times.


End file.
